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This morning on my walk I met any number of school buses rolling through my neighborhood. How could this be?!?! It is still early August! The Olympics aren’t even over yet. In Atlanta, they must like to get the school year rolling early. Even as I am just getting into summer, it has apparently ended already without anyone letting me know. Sigh.
But perhaps the sight school busses in the South is just the nudge I need to make the ask I need to ask before the rest of the country starts school in the weeks to come.
Sooo, I believe that Redeeming Power is just the right book with which to kick off this new year. Every educator—be it a principal or a teacher, pastor or staff member—is a person with a lot of influence over the lives of others. When you think back to your own childhood, I’m sure you have no trouble thinking of a teacher who made you feel confident and capable… and you probably know of a teacher who made you feel small and scared. That’s what power can do. Used well, it helps leaders create vibrant, learning communities. Used poorly, it allows leaders to stunt growth in those around them. As a teacher and administrator myself, I have thought a lot about the use of power in the classroom and in shaping the culture of the school. When I was writing Redeeming Power, educators were one of the major audiences that I had in mind. It’s a book I wish I’d had earlier in my career when I didn’t necessarily think of myself as a “powerful” person, but I was. The way that I spoke to my students…the way that I treated my students… the way that I modeled leadership for them had influence I was not fully aware of at the time. The book addresses questions I wish I’d thought to ask. I wish I could get it into the hands of each educator.
But I don’t know the educators in your neck of the woods. I don’t know the teachers and principals and pastors and staff members that you do. And I’m having a hard time getting my book into the right hands. These are busy people, unlikely to choose a random book off the shelf. But they will read it if someone they know hands it to them and says, “Hey, I know you’ve got an exciting yet challenging year ahead. I think you’d like this book.”
Would you consider getting a copy for an educator you know and giving it to them with a note or a kind word to kick off the school year?
And then a second ask, Amazon reviews do matter in helping get news of a book out there. At present, Redeeming Power has received all five stars! But also only 13 of them. Thank you, Kim, Sr. Debbie, Autumn, Annette, Anne, Rhonda, Janet, Julie, Kathleen, and Amazon Customer (I’m kinda thinking that last one might be my husband.) It means a lot to me to see your kind words appear on the page. By Labor Day, I’m really hoping to get that number tripled to 39. Posting a review costs nothing and it only takes about one minute to do. Just scroll to the bottom of this page and hit the: “Write a Customer Review” button on the left of the screen and say a few words. You don’t even need to have finished the book to offer a comment. You can just mention what you’ve liked so far. This would help me to let more people know about the book.
Meanwhile, happy to share again my August 7th preaching on the persistent Canaanite women. (Maybe I’m reminding you of her right now!) And a reminder that the Waking Up Goliath podcast Season Two is now available.
Let me recommend a couple of episodes with educators I interviewed, befitting the theme of the week!
- Dr. Kevin Baxter – former superintendent of Catholic schools in LA and current director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program at the University of Notre Dame
- Dr. Unni Berkes – lots of you have told me you loved this one and wished that Unni was the Director of Advancement at your school!
- Dr. Crystal LeRoy – President of Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, CA who brings the wisdom of many years of public school education into the world of Catholic education
And then brand new to the airwaves on August 9: Dr. Erin Barisano – superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Orange, CA ! She is such a lovely and wise presence. You won’t want to miss what she has to say!
Picture credit: Denisse Leon. Thanks, Denisse!